This is for a steampunk-inspired fantasy world where people can manipulate a magical metal called quicksteel at will. The main setting, No Man’s Land, is a desert frontier at the center of the world’s only supercontinent.

Introduction

As No Man’s Land has no overarching code of laws, the word outlaw might strike one as strange as the name given to so many great figures in the desert. The term comes from the early days of the frontier, before the onrush of settlers following the Ceramise Civil War. In those years, the only foreigners operating in the desert were adventurous fortune seekers, a few scattered farmers, and those exiled from other lands. Of this latter group, many were banished for their dangerous or criminal nature, and they often continued to used their talents for violence in the desert. Thus “outlaw” became an umbrella term for those on the frontier who practice violent professions, encompassing mercenaries, bandits, and even arguably bounty hunters.

Role

While some outlaws are true criminals, raiding caravans and extorting towns, others are warriors for hire, escorting traders across the sands and facing off bandits and beasts alike. Bounty hunters actively seek out other outlaws to collect the prices on their heads. Most outlaws are powerful quicksmiths, but some rely on firearms or other skills instead. Outlaws often form gangs or alliances to protect themselves.

History

The first generation of outlaws were all notorious criminals exiled to the desert. Their number included Quintus Keen-Eye, a rogue shooter, Springarm Jace, an Orislan serial killer, and the Samurai Slayer, a bandit from Ceram.

In the golden age of No Man’s Land, Rex the Red’s unprecedented career dominated the scene, becoming easily the most famous and perhaps most powerful outlaw of all time. However new additions such as Sarah “Bountysbane,” Harold Gray, Wyatt, and Lo Buhan “The Mad Monkey,” also made names for themselves.

The Railroad War, which ended the golden age, proved a unique opportunity for outlaws, with Harold Gray, Zucheng, and other becoming warlord during the conflict and transforming that power into prominent positions in No Man’s Land today. Others, such as Spikedriver and the Scorpion began forged careers during the conflict. At the end of the Railroad War, the famous Dodgetown Duel saw the death of Rex the Red at the hands of Wyatt, Lo Buhan, and Salaris the Sandstorm.

Some of the most famous outlaws of modern No Man’s Land include Lo Buhan, Caharis the wormslayer, and Spikedriver.

This map is from my book Killermen Saga, still creating lore i would if anyone would love to contribute lore to the world of mine.

Made with Procreate

Anureen (visual) is from a low noble family in Austveeden, a buffer state between powerful kingdoms that often serves as a hub for diplomacy and trade. The circumstances of her joining the Order of the Candlestone is not yet well known by the other students of Arasemis.

Although she seems just as knowledgeable about Candstone’s history and just as skilled in alchemy and martial arts as Arasemis’s first recruits (Marlan and Garion), Arasemis has not explained her to the students. For his part, Marlan was struck by her unusually bright eyes, one green and the other gold, and wondered what her story is, and whether she can be trusted.

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Context: Anureen is a main character in my epic fantasy novel Lords of Deception, which is about the secretive Order of the Candlestone. Emperors and kings thought it had been buried long ago, the grim deeds of its assassins forgotten and its dangerous alchemy shunned. But Arasemis is determined to revive the Order and return the continent to its primitive origins, if he can control his apprentices. More at r/Earthpillar

Craving an all-powerful weapon in your campaign, but is that what your players really want?

So how does Brennan Lee Mulligan handle this as a DM? He balances “The Monty Haul” problem perfectly. When flung into a world where everything is created and made up, abundance in a game can quickly ruin it.

This is for a steampunk-inspired fantasy world where people can manipulate a magical metal called quicksteel at will. The main setting, No Man’s Land, is a desert frontier at the center of the world’s sole supercontinent.

Introduction

On the eve of the Railroad War, Rex the Red was one of the most famous figures in No Man’s Land. He was an outlaw of immense, almost inhuman power but mysterious character; A man whose solitary but driven nature suggested some greater purpose.

It was said that Rex the Red could cleave a building in two with a single swing of his quicksteel axe, yet he never bled when he was cut. It was said that Rex the Red had no mount because animals feared him, yet he never tired walking up and down the desert roads. And it was said that Rex the Red could not be bought with coin or contract, yet he would take any job if you promised him an oldstone.

Appearance

Rex the Red was a tall, spindly man with tan, leathern skin and hazy eyes. He almost always wore a trench coat and a wide brimmed hat.

Origins

No one knows who Rex the Red originally was before he came to No Man’s Land. Rumors would later abound as to his origins, but when he first appeared, none had an answer as to where he was from or why he had come to the frontier. Regardless, Rex was known to be operating in No Man’s Land by 1378AC, wandering from town to town alone.

By the time Rex the Red emerged, the first generation of great outlaws in No Man’s Land was just beginning to take shape. As the frontier was very young, most of them were notable exiles from other lands who had brought their reputations and talents for violence with them. Figures such as Quintus Keen-Eye, Springarm Jace, and the Samurai Slayer were household names.

At first many in the desert were quick to dismiss Rex the Red, seeing as he arrived without fearsome renown of his own. But soon the supposedly greater outlaws in No Man’s Land began disappearing. Anyone who crossed Rex was cut down, and none could stand against him. Rex the Red didn’t need a prior reputation; He created one of his own. Some call him the first true outlaw of No Man’s Land, seeing as his legend was forged in the desert rather than being imported.

Modus Operandi

Rex was the quintessential outlaw. He always traveled alone, wandering into town in search of work suited to his skills. When given a task he asked many questions about who to kill and who to spare, but he never answered any about himself. He never sought a quarrel (outside of his work), but any who picked a fight with him paid dearly. Oddly, Rex had a strong desire to be payed with oldstones, the mysterious relics that power steam engines. once his reputation reached its zenith, people seeking to employ Rex knew to acquire oldstones beforehand

Rex the Red fought with a quicksteel axe and often created quicksteel tendrils to aid him in combat or other tasks. He was a prodigious quicksmith, perhaps the greatest of all time. His techniques drew from all forms of quicksteel manipulation, even the highest, most perilous levels. But he did not care to flaunt his talent, applying his incredible abilities in sudden, swift applications.

Career

Rex operated in No Man’s Land for seven years, and during that time he was the most feared and celebrated outlaw in the desert. His feats were widely circulated in newspapers in No Man’s Land and beyond, with many growing in the telling.

Though he had no rivals in his field, Rex did have opponents of a sort. Hewg the Huge, the Mayor of Lakepans, supposedly despised Rex, seemingly because the solitary outlaw had no interest in being hired as a bodyguard. The Sworn Sons crime syndicate made numerous unsuccessful attempts on Rex’s life for unknown reasons. And late in his life, Levi Yates, the Mad Mayor of Dodgetown, claimed he saw Rex in his dreams and tried to forbid his entrance to his city. This command was disregarded due to the Mayor’s unstable nature by that time.

Rex would happen to be in Dodgetown when a workers’ strike turned violent. Seeing that the city’s lawmen were occupied with the strikers, Rex uncharacteristically began recruiting numerous outlaws and other unsavory figures, seemingly the first and only time in his career in which he worked with others. Rex led his makeshift army in the Sacking of Dodgetown, helping to initiate what would become the Railroad War.

Rex was active for the entirety of the Railroad War, though he spent most of it behaving extremely strangely, dwelling in the ruins of the city he had helped destroy and enacting a strange ritual with oldstones. He was ultimately killed in the legendary Dodgetown Duel, in which he clashed with a samurai, a neksut chieftain, and a rookie outlaw, in a three day long struggle.

I have this idea for a single pantheon shared over several cultures (3 or 4) where as examples the god of war for culture A is the God god Law for Culture B and the god of death of Culture C.

Culture B may indeed have their god of war but that god may well be Cultue As god of Nature and Culture Bs god of life.

Does anyone know of an existing fantasy or real pantheon that might work well like this.

It's always bother me that, In the Super Mario universe. Modern Technology and other devices exist yet the universe exist in a, my assumption. A medieval like world, however. -- or what the Japanese equivalent of, royalty queens and kings.

It's been established, that Trains, Planes and Automobiles exist and even, Professor E Gadd, creations, which don't exist, at least realisticly (Fludd and Poltergrust 3000). And I forgot, airships and flying clown thingy. Mario Odyssey reveals, a semi real world exist. New York... among others (I haven't played Odyssey in years) and "real life" tanks.

Yet. Either Peach or Bowser uses these devices to their advantage. Funny how Mario Galaxy actually has Bowser air raid the town, like some War movie.

My Point is: What type of Worlding Building is this called?

A world, where it's a Fantasy. But features minor bits of technology, Trains and Electronics or has it's own inventions, Fludd, Poltergrust or even a time machine (Partners in Time/ Mario and Luigi prg 2 on DS).

But it's begs a question? If Trains, Planes and Electronics, everyday stuff, mircowaves (Party's all) the ability of fictional inventions Fludd and a time machine is possible. How? I know it's pointless to make up a history of, "how in the mushroom kingdom engines came into existence. Which allowed, Trains Planes Cars Tanks to exist" meaning the advancement of technology over time... Yada Yada Yada... maybe I'm over thinking -- A children's series.

Marlan (visual) is among the first students of Arasemis, recruited together with Garion at Bredahade Academy while Arasemis was a professor there. Arasemis convinced them of the superiority of ancient tribal customs and the unjust and abusive rule of modern kings, and portrayed the Order of the Candlestone as the salvation of all people.

After Arasemis was forced out of the Academy, Marlan and Garion followed him to Thorendor Castle, where Marlan quickly mastered lessons on alchemy, advanced swordcraft, and the tribal secrets of stealth and wall-running. Curious, tireless, and obedient, Marlan proved to be an excellent pupil. He became Arasemis’s top assassin, excelling at increasingly sophisticated and dangerous tasks, and was rewarded with a unique alchemical sword.

With encouragement from Arasemis, Marlan began to see himself as the future leader of the next generation of the Order of the Candlestone, when their efforts to overthrow kings would undoubtedly have caused an era of great upheaval that Arasemis’s old books termed The War of All Kingdoms.

Marlan’s confidence in his future began to change with the arrival of Fetzer. Although Fetzer was arrogant, violent, and constantly challenged Arasemis’s authority, Marlan began to view Fetzer as a prophesied uniter who would fuel a more powerful Candlestone. Fetzer welcomed praise from Marlan, but Marlan’s belief created significant tension with Arasemis. Torn between loyalty to his master and his belief in Fetzer’s destiny, Marlan must thread the needle while leading the assassination of the king.

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Marlan is a main character in my epic fantasy novel Lords of Deception. My novels have flavors of historical fiction, adventure, and steampunk. Lords of Deception is about the secretive Order of the Candlestone. Emperors and kings thought it had been buried long ago, the grim deeds of its assassins forgotten and its dangerous alchemy shunned. But Marlan's master, Arasemis, is determined to revive the Order and return the continent to its primitive origins, if he can control his apprentices. More at r/Earthpillar